L I B. II. Of the Advancement ofLearnm<^. ^ 1 



Chap. II. 



I. The Partition of Hiftory into t^atural and Civil {Ecckfiafiical and 

 Literary eomprehended under Civil.') II. The Partition of N^fz/ra/ 

 Hijior)', into the Hijiory of Generations. III. Prater-Generations. 

 IV. Of Arts. 



I. r TIftory is cither Natural or Civil : in i^T^/wr^/ the operations of 

 JL A. Nature are recorded 5 in Civil the Adions of men. In both 

 thefe without queftion, the Divine Workings are tranflucent, but more 

 confpicuous in A&s Civile in fo much as they conftitutea pecuharkind 

 of Hiftory, which we ufually ftile Sacred or EccUfiaJiical : And in 

 truth to us fuch ieems the Dignity of Learning and of Arts to be, that 

 there ought to be referv'd a Particular Hijiorji for them apart from the 

 reft 5 which yet weunderftand to be comprehended, asEccleJiaJiic^Hi-' 

 ffory alfb is, under Hijlory Civil. 



II. The Partition of Natural Hijlory we (hall raife out of the ftate 

 and condition of Nature herlelf^ which is found fubjeft to a triple 

 ftate , and under a three-fold regiment : For Nature is either Free and 

 difplaying herfelfin her ordinary courje 5 as in the Heavens, living Crea- 

 tures, Plants, and the Univerfal furniture of the world , or put out of 

 her ufnal courfe and depos'd from herjiate, by the pravities and infolencies 

 of contumacious Matter^ and the violence of Impediments, as in Mon« 

 Iters : or laftly, fhe is Compreji and fajhioned , and as it were nevp caji , 

 as in Artificial Operations : Let therefore the partition of Natural Hijio- 

 ry, be made into the Hiftory o( Generations ^ oi Prater-Generations ^ 

 and of Arts j whereof the laft we ufe to call Hilary Mechanical, or 

 Experimental. Tiie firft of thefe handles the Liberty of Nature 5 the 

 fecond the Errors ; the third the Bands thereof. And we are the ra- 

 ther induced toaffign the Hijiory of Arts, as a branch of Natural Hijioty) 

 becaufe an opinion hath long time gone currant, as\{ Art were fome 

 different thing from Nature^ and Artificial from Natural. From this mi- 

 ftake this inconvenience arifes, that many writers of Natural HiHor) 

 think they have quit themfelves fuflicicntly, if they have compiled 3 

 Hiftory ofCreaturesfiv ofPlants^or of Mineralsjtht experiments of Me- 

 chanical Arts paft over in filence. But there is yet a more fubtile deceit 

 which (ccretly fteals into the minds of Men, namely, that Art ftiould be 

 reputed a kind of Additament only to Nature, whofe virtue is this.that 

 it can indeed either perfeft Nature inchoate, or repair it vfhen it is decay- 

 ed, orfet it at liberty from impediments j but not quite alter, tranfmute, 

 or Jliake it in the foundations : which erroneous conceit hath brought 

 in a too hafty defpair upon mens enterprifes. But on the the contrary, 

 this certain truth (hould be throughly fetled in the minds of men, That 

 Jrtificials differ not from Naturals in Form arid Ejfence , but in the Ef^ 

 ficient only j for man hath no power over Nature, fave only in hev A lo- 

 tion 5 that is, to mingle or put together Natural bodies^, and to feparate 

 or put them afunder j whereforcjwhere there is Appofition and Separa* 

 Hon of Bodies, Natural conjoyning (as they term it) A&ive with Pajfive^ 

 man may do all things j this not done, he can do nothing. Nor is it 



C 2 tnaterfirl 



